President Marcos assured families affected by the recent low-pressure area (LPA) Caraga region of access to medicine and potable water as he ordered concerned agencies to ensure immediate response to affected areas.

Marcos said this as he led the situation briefing on the effects of the recent LPA, in Prosperidad Agusan del Sur, on Friday, Feb. 16.

In his remarks, the President stressed the need to provide a “more extended solution” to address limited sources of potable water to areas still submerged in flood.

He said the national government, through the efforts of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), could lend water purification machines to affected regions.

“We’ll continue to provide what we can but we have to have longer term, a more extended solution, and what we usually do sa ibang lugar, nagpapadala kami ng purification system na galing pa sa MMDA yung iba (in other areas is we send purification systems and some even come from the MMDA),” Marcos said.

“But that seems to be a practical stopgap measure in terms of providing water supply because, as we all know, that’s going to be critical,” he added.

According to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, there were still 15 units of water purification machines that could be lent to Caraga as some of its units are currently deployed in the Davao region.

“One machine can provide 185 gallons per hour. So, bukas po padala po natin kaagad (We'll send them tomorrow),” he said.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa Jr. said they have already provided the release of their quick-release funds to their regional office in Caraga.

“The regional office has already provided some of the medicines, some of them are for the wash, water and sanitation, and hygiene," he said.

"We provided already a bladder (tank) for water. And we also provided aqua tabs because we detected coliforms in the water source, so we are trying to avoid any outbreak in waterborne diseases,” he added.
 

Assistance

President Marcos also led the turnover of around P120 million worth of assistance to local government units (LGUs) of the Caraga region.

The assistance was in the form of checks provided by the Office of the President (OP) to the following:

• Agusan Del Sur (P40 million)
• Agusan Del Norte (P15 million)
• Surigao Del Sur (P35 million)
• Surigao Del Norte (P10 million)
• Butuan City (P20 million)